Method of fermenting meat products and composition therefor



a characteristic desirable -flavor. these-microorganisms form lactic :acid which-contributes United States Pa e M METHOD OF FERMENTING MEAT PRODUCTS AND COMPOSITION THEREFOR Louis Chalet, Newark, NLL, assignorto Merck & Co., Inc, Rahway, NJ., a corporation of New Jersey This invention relates tosausage manufacture andparticularly -to acomposition and process-ion improving the fermentation action for ;the purpose of accentuating a desirable flavorin. the sausage.

. Inatheprocessing'of sausages-it has'been a 'common {practiceto-add certain microorganisms which bring about Generally speaking,

to the desired flavor of the sausage, but it is known that other products are elaborated by the growth of the microorganisms and that these products contribute to the flavor of the sausage. In this-respect this starterculture corresponds to the' starter cultures of different microorganisms which are used=inthe dairy industry for the production of buttermilk, sour cream and the-various cheeses.-

The starter cultures'which are used 'in the meat industry areproducedas a result of fermentationof the selected microorganism in a nutrient culture medium. After the growth of the selected microorganism has resultediinaan enormous growth of the cells,- the cells A 2,945,766 Patented July 19, 1960 .beenadded to the meat mixture, results in a marked stimulation 'inithe action of the culture starter, i;e., 1) a marked decrease of culture starter 'necessary'to produce ;a;given acidity or .(2) a marked increase-of acidity per-unit weight of culture starter. This" increased acidity is indicated both .by the lowering'of theipH' of the sausage and 1 by the imparting of an improved .andaccentuatedt flavor tothe sausage- Ini carryin'g out'the' invention i tis' possibleto utilize any. salt which resultsiin the'rele'ase. of manganese: ions.

This can be achieved readily with the use ofithegmore common manganese salts such as manganese chloride, manganese "sulfate and manganese phosphatebuumauganese salts of other. inorganic acids maybe used-"as well. It is also possible to utilize manganese salts of 'organice'acids, such-as manganese acetate, :or manganese .benzoate; .In addition, the invention contemplates the .use of manganese salt-complexes, such as chelates, the important consideration being [that the selectedsaltnbe one: which. allows. manganese ions to beiavailableto the 1 cells.

Additiontotheculture starter of other inorganiczsalts, such iron, magnesium, potassium L and sodium, as zwell as sources of carbon, nitrogen and accessory'nutrients such as dextrose, trypton and yeast-extract did not .re-

' fsult iniastimulation ofzacid production.

are :harvested 'and isolated principally by centrifugation,

the centrifugate b'eing disc'arded. The resultingma'ss of cells :may be addeddirectly to the sausage to initiate new growth for the production of the desired flavor characteristics in the sausage. For ease of handling, the collected cells are sometimes subjected to a freeze-drying process "and I it i is "this dried' product which is :sent to the placezof use.

The livingmicroorganisms are added'totthe sausage and the sausage is processedin the' temperature-range(80- rl 10 whichifavorsithe'igrowth of 'the 'cul'turegandit is. during the: continued growth of the cells" in lthe sausagc that the substances. which they elaborateu impart the desirable: 'flavor' to the sausage.

One measure 'of the extent of the growth is the resulting lowering of rthen fl .Although 'theiisolated culture starter bells-"contain small. amounts of. manganese .(i.e.. 0.3'-0I4% of' the dry cell weight), it has been found that the optimumzrresults are obtained if the salt is added in such an amount so that itnis presentasmanganese ion in a concentration ofabout-4% of the microorganismcellsby. weight; "lib creased concentrations:of manganese ion beyondv4% have-been observed-to either not increase the production of acid further or may result inaisomewh-at lower acidity in the sausage; .On the other hand, if the concentration of the salt, expressed as the manganese ion,

of the sausage. An increase -inthe acidity of the sausage.-,;

in the substrate to carry on reproduction off'the'organism.

"For instance, if 1 mg. of starter culturecells were added-tolO'O grams of ground meatipH-5Y9 inxa'saus'age is 7 less than 0.5% of'the cell weight-ithas'been found that the pH isnot lowered to the desired point,-nor is-thefiavor accentuated to the desired extent.

lncarrying out theinvention the culturc starter-{cells maybefoitified with manganese salts in the wet state prior to* drying or the cells maybe dryblendedwith the manganese salt. It is also apparent that the same 'results can' be achieved byadding-"the manganese saltdirectly to athersausage independently of theaddition of the culture starter,iit being only'necessary that the-manganese is in intimate contact with the cells and that the two ingredients be added" at about the same time -to--obtain maximum stimulationofiacidity.

, The manganese'salts*arepreferably usedinconjunction with'a cultureof Pediococcuccerevisiae.which isone of the commonly'use'dnausa'ge culture'starters'. This microorganism has been stated bfy"Pederson in Bacteriol.

Review 13, 225-232; to be the same species as Pediacoccus damnosus, Pediococcus perniciosus, Pedz'ococcus .sarcimreformis, Pediococcus tetragenu's, .Pediococcusiacr'di lactici,Str-eptococcus damnosus, Streptococcumdamnosus var, viscosus and Streptococcus damnosus var. pentaasceus. 1

The invention 'may' also be :used -with Iother-microorganisms which are. .usedtoimpart. distinctive flavors to beaker test (hereinafter described), atf 'tlie 'end'of 20,, hoursat 37 C. the'pHmay betpH 5.2 'If fivetimes the amount'of starter were added, the pH may drop to aboutpHiO'Sin 20 hrs. p

In accordance with the present inventionit' hasi'b'een sausage, suchaas Streptococcus lactis and the group consisting of the 'Lactobacilli such as are identified in Patent No..2,225', 783, which issued'on December 24, 1940, and

is..entitled. fSausage Treatment.

Mention. yh m. be made stiles ta t th saw the invention has particular applicationto -fermented sausa e. h as e' i a ome: i iausa tisa 'aj an be carri'ed'out as wellwithother beef'andporkproducts to which afermentationstarter'cultureisdddtd j' found thatth'e' addition "of manganese salts to the starter. culture; eithenbefore or afterthe "startenculmre' has th-uringer; pork roll,- Lebanon bologna, the invention may bated at 37 C. for hours. meat are shown below: 7

The product of the invention does not require any departure from the usual manner in which the meat products are fermented with the starter culture. Ordinarily, an amount not to exceed /1 of 1% of the starter. culture is intimately mixed with the ground meat, although it is apparent that lesser amounts may be added, depending upon the taste which is to be obtained. No departure from such conventional practice is required in adding the manganese salt of the invention. a

A method of test in the laboratory for sausage culture starters is the beaker sausage test. This is a use test in which the starter is added to ground lean beef (pretreated with sodium chloride, glucose and sodium nitrite) ina beaker and the mixture allowed to incubate at 37 C. for 20 hours. The amount of acidity produced in the ,meat (i.e. pH) is an indication of the activity of the starter culture.

Example I A nutrient culture medium in which the growth of Pediococcus cenevisiae is carried on is centrifuged and the filtrate is discarded. One gram of the wet cell cake was slurried in forty mls. of water. further diluted 1:10 with the following solutions: (1) water, (2) an aqueous solution of manganese chloride containing 40 p.p.m. of manganese, (3) an aqueous solution of ferrous sulfate containing 8 p.p.m. of iron, (4) an aqueous solution of magnesium sulfate containing 80 -p.p.m. of magnesium. One ml. of each of the final diluted solutions were added to separate 100 gram portions of ground meat in the sausage-beaker test and incu- The pI-Is of the incubated A nutrient culture medium in which the growth of Pediococcus cerevisiae is carried on is centrifuged and The slurry was 7 pH Control (no cells added) 5.85 Water 5.18 Manganese solutions (40 p.p.m.) 5.10 Iron solution (8 p.p.m.) 5.30 V Magnesium solution (80 p.p.m.) 5.22

' Example II Added manganese, Mg. cells per 100 gms. meat Percent Sausage Cell pH weight In Examples I, II, III and IV the mixture of the manganese salt and the cells was added in the amount of 1 to 1.5 mg. of the mixture to 100 grams of the sausage mix. Other examples in which a higher concentration, as Well as a lower concentration, of the manganese salt and the cellular mixture is added to the sausage mix, are obvious.

Example V The process of Example I is carried out but manganese sulfate is substituted for the manganese chloride and it is added so that a 4% concentration of manganese ion results.

The manganese sulfate may be added to the cellular mixture as set forth in Examples II, III and IV, and in varying amounts of addition to the sausage mix.

Example VI Additional examples of the invention will be apparent, including the substitution of other manganese salts such as manganese hydrogen phosphate, manganese acetate, manganese benzoate, for the manganese chloride or manganese sulfate of the above example.

the filtrate is discarded. The Pediococcus cells were dried and were assayed by the sausage beaker test as is and fortified with manganese (as manganese chloride) to the extent of 4% of the cell weight. The results of the A test are shown below: 7

Manganese Mg. cells/100 gms. meat Fortifica- Sausage pH tlon, percent Example III A nutrient culture medium in which the growth of Pediococcus cerevisiae is carried on is centrifuged and the filtrate is discarded. To the solid material containing the cells was added varying amounts of manganese (as manganese chloride) and the cells subjected to the sausage-beaker test. The results are indicated below:

Added Manganese,

Percent Sausage Mg. cells per 100 gms. meat Wt. of cells pH 0 (control) 5. 75 1.5 0 5. 50 7.5..- 0 5. 35 1.5 12 5. 35 1.5 4 5. 25 1.5--- 1. 3 5. 35

Example VII The nutrient culture medium in which the growth of Pediococcus cerevisiae is carried on is centrifuged and the filtrate is discarded. The solid material containing the cells is subjected to freeze-drying and to the dried cells is then added manganese chloride so that the manganese ions constitute 4% by weight of the mixture. One milligram portion of this dried cell is addded to 100 grams of sausage mix. The desired increase in acidity was obtained.

Example VIII The nutrient culture medium in which the growth of of Pediococcus cerevisiae is carried on is centrifuged and the filtrate is discarded. To the solid material containing the cells is added manganese chloride so that the manganese ions constitute 4% by weight of the mixture and it is then subjected to freeze-drying. One milligram portion of this dried cell is added to 100 grams of sausage mix.

I The desired increase in acidity was obtained.

Example IX The nutrient culture medium in which the growth of Pediococcus cerevisiae is carried on is centrifuged and the filtrate is discarded. The cellular mass is collected and a 1.0 mg. dried culture is added to grams of sausage mix, together with manganese chloride in an amount such that the manganese ion constitutes 4% by weight of the cellular mass. The desired increase in acidity was obtained.

From the above examples and disclosure it is evident that the invention broadly involves the addition of at least 3 mg. of manganese per 100 lbs. of meat in conjunction with the fermentation culture. It is the presence of this additional amount of manganese to the meat and in; the presence of the fermentation producing microorganism that brings about the desirable increased elaboration of the important metabolic material. Although these microorganisms will in nearly all instances be added to the meat as a starter culture, in some instances the microorganism is added to thefresh sausage by adding thereto a small amount of sausage which has already undergone fermentation and which therefore includes a suflicient amount of the microorganism to initiate fermentation in the fresh sausage meat.

What is claimed is: I

1. The method of fermenting meat products which involves adding a bacterial fermentative culture to the meat up to A% of the meat, together with a manganese salt, the manganese being present in the amount of at least 0.5% of the weight of the culture but less than 4% and adding heat to keep at a temperature of 80-ll0 F. until the desired taste is obtained.

fermentative microbiological culture in an amount up to 4% of the weight of the meat, and a manganese salt, the manganese salt being present in an amount greater than 0.5% by weight of the microbiological culture but less than 4%.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Jensen Dec. 24, 1940 OTHER REFERENCES Bacterial Chemistry and Physiology, 1946, by J. R. Porter, published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, pages 618 to 627 inclusive. 

1. THE METHOD OF FERMENTING MEAT PRODUCTS WHICH INVOLVES ADDING A BACTERIAL FERMENTATIVE CULTURE TO THE MEAT UP TO 1/4% OF THE MEAT, TOGETHER WITH A MANGANESE SALT, THE MANGANESE BEING PRESENT IN THE AMOUNT OF AT LEAST 0.5% OF THE WEIGHT OF THE CULTURE BUT LESS THAN 4% AND ADDING HEAT TO KEEP AT A TEMPERATURE OF 80*-110*F. UNTIL THE DESIRED TASTE IS OBTAINED. 